Chapter 1271: Unexpected

After Qiao Heng unleashed his full-power arrow, he could no longer hold on. His legs gave out, and he knelt directly on the ground.

Seeing this scene, Sowen and Changning felt a pang of despair. As members of the demon race, they were well aware of the elven clan's renowned ultimate skill, "Tears of the Enchanted Forest," which had raised their expectations even higher.

Of course, they also knew that given the black-furred monster's demonstrated combat prowess, this arrow was unlikely to kill him. However, they had expected it to at least inflict some injury or slow him down.

Yet, he had caught it with a single hand, merely singeing a bit of his fur – if that even counted as an injury.

Despair filled Qiao Heng's eyes as well. He looked at Zu An with a bitter smile. "Brother, I wanted to be a hero who held the line, but it seems I can't do it after all."

Zu An patted his shoulder. "You've worked hard. Leave the rest to me."

Qiao Heng's eyes were dull and lifeless. It was clear that the elven clan's devastating ultimate skill, "Tears of the Enchanted Forest," failing to even graze the enemy had dealt him a significant blow.

Faced with such an absolute disparity in strength, he didn't believe Zu An could change anything by stepping forward.

Princess Sowen's expression as she looked at Zu An was complex. Everyone else was in despair, so how could this man remain so calm and composed?

Some people truly seemed born for grand occasions. To witness such a heroic man before dying, she thought, Heaven had not treated her unfairly.

Meanwhile, Princess Changning subtly recoiled. She quietly glanced at the Tri-Flower in the center of the blood pool; it looked ready to bloom at any moment, meaning it wouldn't need much more vital essence. If she just died after the others, she might just escape this calamity.

At that moment, Zu An had already taken flight on his Wind Fire Wheels. The people on the stone platform were either injured or weak, and he wasn't confident he could protect them all if they were caught in the battle.

The black-furred monster seemed somewhat surprised that someone dared to confront him directly.

Glancing at the Wind Fire Wheels beneath Zu An's feet, it was clear the monster was more interested in them than in Zu An himself.

So, it stretched out a massive hand, directly grabbing towards the two Wind Fire Wheels.

The moment the monster raised its hand, Zu An felt his Wind Fire Wheels being pulled uncontrollably towards it. He quickly flew towards the Tri-Flower in the center of the blood pool, intending to divert the monster's attention.

In this environment where flying was suppressed, if he lost his Wind Fire Wheels, he wouldn't even have a place to land, let alone fight the monster.

As expected, the black-furred monster grew agitated when it saw Zu An approaching the Tri-Flower. It abandoned its pursuit of the Wind Fire Wheels and instead lunged directly for his shoulder.

Everyone on the stone platform's heart tightened. Even from a distance, they could feel the overwhelming power of that colossal grab.

Just moments ago, master practitioners of the younger generation from the demon race had been instantly killed by such a grab, without exception.

Yet, Zu An's face showed none of the panic that Duan Tiande, Ma Huang, and others had exhibited earlier. Instead, he was remarkably calm, too calm for someone facing a life-or-death crisis.

He, too, met the attack with a palm strike. Seeing this, Princess Sowen almost cried out in alarm. The monster possessed the cultivation of a Grandmaster; wouldn't clashing head-on with it be suicidal?

In her opinion, the wisest course of action would have been to use his ghostly movements and instantaneous teleportation, comparable to a Night Elf's Shadow Meld, to evade and maneuver.

However, she quickly understood why. If he retreated, the monster's attention would likely shift to them. Thinking of this, her beautiful eyes grew slightly moist.

Bang!

There was no earth-shattering roar as expected, nor did Zu An cough up blood or fly backward. He merely swayed slightly, having actually taken the monster's invincible grab head-on.

Yu Yanluo, whose fists had been clenched tight, finally relaxed them. Beside her, Yun Jianyue chuckled, "I told you not to worry, didn't I? Your man is fine."

Yu Yanluo gave an embarrassed smile, then secretly glanced at Yan Xuehen. The memory of being chased by her when the two of them teamed up still lingered.

Yan Xuehen also explained, "He possesses a miraculous cultivation method that can neutralize and absorb others' attacks. This prevents him from being instantly crushed when facing top experts."

She recalled their past encounters; it was as if an invisible black hole existed all over him, mysteriously absorbing a significant portion of her attacks' force. This made it difficult for her to achieve the usual level of Grandmaster suppression over ordinary practitioners.

However, this cultivation method could at most give him a fighting chance. He hadn't even reached the Master rank, so victory against such an opponent was almost impossible.

The only fortunate thing was that the black-furred monster seemed to be mentally impaired and couldn't unleash many abilities unique to Grandmasters, instead relying only on instinctive combat experience.

The black-furred monster was clearly surprised that the "ant" before it could withstand its attack.

It roared and charged at Zu An again, a terrifying pressure causing the entire blood pool to begin to boil.

Breathing became difficult for everyone on the stone platform. Princess Changning, being slightly weaker in cultivation, was directly pressed to the ground, unable to stand.

Zu An, meanwhile, let out a loud shout: "Now!"

Yun Jianyue was prepared. With a flick of her sleeve, a Changxin Palace Lantern appeared in the air, its pale yellow light shining onto the monster.

In her peak condition, she would have been confident in restraining the opponent for a while with her own power. However, in her current state, she could only slightly delay it.

Yu Yanluo also moved. Her black hair stirred without wind, transforming into countless small snakes, and her eyes emitted a yellow glow.

Yan Xuehen, standing by, felt a slight blush creep onto her cheeks. Back when she was pursuing them, it was this very move that had nearly turned her to stone, tearing her clothes in the process and leaving her completely exposed to Zu An...

Princess Sowen's jaw dropped in shock. This woman was actually the Medusa Queen! Then, wouldn't this man be the mysterious individual who had recently defeated the Golden Crow Crown Prince?

Princess Changning's expression was also complicated. She had never imagined that this man was the very enemy who had defeated her "fiancé."

For days, upon hearing of the Golden Crow Crown Prince's defeat, she had cursed that mysterious person daily. Who would have thought that today she would be saved by him?

At this moment, enveloped by the dual control skills of the Changxin Palace Lantern and the Medusa's Gaze, even the mighty black-furred monster stiffened all over. The black aura around its body continuously resisted the light of the Changxin Palace Lantern and the petrification power.

Zu An dared not relax in the slightest. He unleashed the Domain of Might from the Taia Sword and even summoned Baiming to launch a mental assault.

At the same time, wielding the Poisonous Dagger, he unleashed the Shattered Star Profound Seal, bursting with tenfold power. He transformed into a meteor, charging resolutely towards the black-furred monster.

He knew very well that given the immense power disparity, his other methods would likely inflict little damage on the black-furred monster. So, he decided to go all-out from the start, catching the opponent off guard.

Sure enough, the black-furred monster, assailed by various skills, froze for a moment, despite its immense strength.

Zu An also used the *Great Dao of Forgotten Emotions* taught by Yan Xuehen to conceal his killing intent. By the time the monster reacted, it was already too late.

With a thud, even a Grandmaster's defense couldn't withstand the attack amplified tenfold by the Shattered Star Profound Seal. The Poisonous Dagger plunged directly into the monster's body.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. Even a mighty dragon would perish if merely scratched by this Poisonous Dagger, let alone having the entire blade embedded within it.

However, his expression suddenly changed. He hastily retreated, but it was too late. The monster unleashed a punch. Zu An instinctively raised his arms in front of him, but he was still sent flying backward.

Due to having just activated the Shattered Star Profound Seal, his qi and blood were churning violently, making it difficult to maintain balance on the Wind Fire Wheels. He wobbled precariously, about to fall into the blood pool.

The faces of those on the stone platform changed dramatically. Yun Jianyue reacted the fastest, swiftly pulling off Yan Xuehen's belt, flicking it, and lassoing Zu An's arm, pulling him back.

Having successfully rescued Zu An, Yan Xuehen was just recovering from her fright when she suddenly realized something. She quickly covered her dress, both embarrassed and annoyed. "Demoness, why did you pull off my belt!"

Yun Jianyue snorted, "You've been standing idly by this entire time, truly failing your reputation. I specifically made you contribute a little. Instead of thanking me, you're blaming me?"

Yan Xuehen: "..."

The demoness was spouting nonsense with a straight face, but Yan Xuehen genuinely didn't know how to refute her.

At that moment, an earth-shattering roar erupted. The monster roared repeatedly, clearly enraged by the recent encounter.

Seeing the monster full of vigor, Zu An's expression grew grim. Why had the Poisonous Dagger had no effect on it?

It made no sense!